The present invention relates to protector panels for telecommunications equipment.
A protector panel containing a plurality of plug-in protectors may be installed in a telephone central office or other location. The plug-in protectors protect telecommunications equipment against sneak currents and voltage surges.
FIGS. 7A-7C show a conventional design for a protector panel 700. The protector panel 700 includes a substrate 710 having a plurality of holes 722 organized in clusters 720, each cluster accommodating a plug-in protector 790. Each hole has a respective conductive socket 730 installed in it. The sockets 730 are typically gold-plated and are quite expensive. The sockets are individually installed in the holes 722. This installation is labor intensive and expensive.
A plug-in protector 790 can be plugged into each cluster 720 of sockets 730. Typically, a plug-in protector is 790 installed in one of two positions. In a partially inserted position (not shown), the plug-in protector 790 forms the necessary connections to protect incoming wires from voltage surges and sneak currents, but the customer""s service is disconnected. In the fully inserted position (shown in FIG. 7B), the plug-in protector 790 protects the incoming wires and also provides connectivity to connect the customer""s telephone lines. The sockets 730 must be able to grip the pins of the plug-in protector 790 while the protector is inserted or pulled out. To ensure that the sockets 730 (and the protectors) do not fall out, they are wedged into the panel substrate 710 tightly. It is essential that the protectors do not fall out; otherwise there would be no protection.
A plurality of grounding conductors 737 connect the ground lead 736 of each socket cluster 720 to a ground strip 714 on the side of the panel 700. Each socket 730 has a wire wrap terminal 731 projecting from the bottom side of the panel 700. Incoming wires (not shown) are individually wrapped around the wire wrap terminals 731. This is labor intensive, and is thus an expensive process.
A simpler protector panel that can be fabricated with less labor is desired.
The present invention is a printed wiring board having resilient members for forming an electrical connection with a pin or electrode. The printed wiring board has wiring on at least one surface. The printed wiring board has at least one hole. The printed wiring board has at least one resilient elongated member adjacent to the hole. The elongated member has a conductive material on it. The conductive material forms an electrical connection between the wiring and a pin or electrode while the pin or electrode is at least partially inserted into the hole.